Vernon "Vern" Lee Williamson

On October 27, 2023 this world lost an extraordinary man when Vernon Lee Williamson, longtime resident of Milpitas, CA took his final breath at Kaiser hospital in Santa Clara, CA, at the age of 80. A brief but valiant battle ended one week from when he entered the hospital, when he succumbed to pneumonia, and his family, while saddened, shocked and deeply bereaved, remains grateful that his suffering was not further prolonged. His wordless exit from life was like his own strategic, silent kiss goodbye.

A tequila aficionado, expert beachcomber, eager globe trotter, gardener extraordinaire, and ardent admirer of the exquisite artistry of nature in all variations, Vern was born in Palo Alto, CA on January 26, 1943, and raised in Mountain View, back when the fruit orchards flourished and the El Camino Real was the main drag, before it was known as the Silicon Valley. He graduated from Mountain View High School in 1960 and always loved the music of that era, often singing along to the radio decades later. As a young man he frequented Original Joe's for late night burger dates with friends, and worked at Sears in the automotive department, while attending college at San Jose State University. His spectacularly gilt red hair, twinkling green eyes and unwavering confidence among his charms, Vern was a truly sweet guy with a tenacious mind and an easy going, laid back temperament, whose playful demeanor and bright, sarcastic wit kept him young at heart to the very end.

While a drafting and mechanical engineering student at San Jose State, he met, romanced and soon married the love of his life, a fellow Trojan, Janet Joy Raynal, of Redwood City, CA. They initiated their life together in an intimate ceremony in Reno, NV on September, 7th, 1963. Together, Jan and Vern ultimately achieved sixty years of matrimony, celebrating an impressive accomplishment few couples are able to attain! Their enduring marriage is a testament to their mutual respect and devotion to being a team, stronger and better together, unified not just in words but in deeds. Everyone knew they could always count on Vern, but first and foremost, his wife and children benefited from that strong foundational love and fidelity. Vern was the rock of his family, an exemplary and solidly dependable person whose innate warmth made others feel seen, heard, and valued.

Becoming a father at the tender age of twenty one, with the birth of daughter, Dawn Marie in February of 1964, Vern joyfully lived up to this important responsibility and title, embracing his duties with exceptional natural skill and exuberance. He was the daddy who got down onto the floor and played with his kids and made time to enjoy the little things. Following the birth of son, Shawn Michael in October of 1966, the young family of four moved into their lifelong home on Park Heights Drive in Milpitas the very next spring. Vern became known to all his neighbors as a kind, caring and good hearted friend who generously shared the bounty of his seasonal harvests of tomatoes, berries, plums, cherries, and citrus, as well as gorgeous cymbidium orchids. The luckiest among his many admirers were gifted countless floral stems, usually in an empty, recycled Patron Silver blown glass bottle! Vern's robust and vibrant garden is his living legacy.

His lifelong avocation was cultivating, in keeping with his heritage, as he descended from the hardy farming homesteaders of the northwest panhandle of Oklahoma, a place he enjoyed visiting throughout the years, keeping close ties and connections to his ancestral roots. He inherited and integrated those esteemed core values of community, loyalty, hard work, and self reliance which were among his finest character traits. Vern learned and shared many lessons from his mother, Jane, a Supervising Nurse at Stanford Hospital, who ingrained in her son the virtues of being punctual, polite, proactively helpful, and graciously hospitable, while he gained many practical, hands-on skills from his father, Elmer, a construction and facilities maintenance worker, whose tinkering at his workbench and knack for fixing things Vern emulated. His fondness for fishing, boating and camping, he also passed along from his folks, whose earnestness, discipline and genuine love for each other created an endearing and enduring legacy Vern extended and modeled throughout his own life.

Vern was as cheerful as he was curious, an avid, inquisitive, and voracious reader, and a man who valued a balanced lifestyle, one with healthy ratios of work to relaxation. Happiest when enjoying the outdoors, he took his family to explore the wonders of many state and national parks, such as the Sequoia National Forest, Yosemite Valley, and the Grand Canyon, to the Painted Desert and beyond, always reminding them that coming home is ultimately the most precious of all luxuries.

Vern was an active sportsman who hunted dove, ducks, geese and pheasant for many years, and also dove for abalone, camping out along the rugged cliffs of the Pacific coast, ensuring he shared the fascinating history of places like Fort Ross along the way. Vern and some of his in-laws also made an annual men's trek to the Klamath River for many years, where they fished for steelhead and built layers of memories, bonding in traditions centered in their common appreciation for the serenity found in wilderness.

After his retirement, Vern and Jan enjoyed embarking on numerous international cruises, to Europe and exotic destinations including archeological sites he'd read about as a subscriber to National Geographic magazine, such as the Pyramids of Eqypt, Ancient Greece, Rome and Pompeii, as well as the glorious glaciers of Alaska. He and Jan even sailed around The Horn, and through the Panama Canal! Vern proudly took the whole family on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate together his and Jan's 50th wedding anniversary, making priceless memories his kids and grandkids will never forget.

Vern also loved to waterski in the nearby delta, and patiently taught many others this challenging sport, notably taking off from work on random.Wednesdays to pursue this healthy hobby. It gave him great pleasure to include and invite anyone who wanted to join in on these frequent outings and on the house-boating vacations to Lake Shasta that became a hallmark of summer family fun. Nobody could forget Vern's ability to look cool on a slalom ski wearing denim from head to toe in protection of his fair, mightily freckled skin. A night under the stars in the fresh air made him gleeful, as did a sunrise ski run on a glassy still lake before breakfast. Vern knew and proved that the best things in life really are free.

As he was fondly known, "No-Burn-Vern," learned the necessity of preserving his skin the hard way, which eventually led to his donning THE iconic fashion statement of all time: a safari inspired Pith helmet he adorned with colorful floral leis, that perfectly symbolized his carefree, amiable personality. Vern literally embodied aloha! Having conquered melanoma in 2020, Vern was also aq poster boy for vigilance against potentially harmful, damaging UV rays, and was always available to help apply sunscreen lotion in service to those who might need a little TLC with their SPF. A charitable contribution in Vern's name to the Melanoma Research Alliance would be a meaningful way to honor his memory, https://www.curemelanoma.org/.

Vern is remembered by all as a jovial man who made friends easily and often, and loved to help others have a good time. He was perpetually ready for a party, and gave the very best hugs at the start and conclusion of each one! He was also known for his gentle foot rubs in hut tubs and full body relaxation massages, and for being an attentive, compassionate listener. He spoke softly and carried a big heart. His trailer at the Laguna del Sol naturalist resort and at Red, White & Blue beach were congenial and welcoming spaces where he and his lifelong sun-seeking sidekick, "All-Tan-Jan," notoriously collected old and new friends for happy hours, (i.e. any hour of any day) with casual potlucks and of course, bottomless tequila shots!

Vern's emblematic passion for photography must be acknowledged, though he highly preferred being behind the lens of his camera rather than the subject of attention. A meticulously organized, immense photo collection, with dozens of albums and extensive digitized library of images attest.to his prowess as an adept contemporary historian. He captured smiles and recorded all family events to preserve the happy moments he truly treasured. Portraits of bathing beauties swinging their hair in the surf became a particularly favorite gift to special model friends. Vern's vision of the world was framed by a loving light and he appreciated nothing so much as showing others their own, authentic beauty. He brought his own version of the Golden Hour to each portrait.

Vern's 34 year career as a senior managing mechanical designer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories began as a novice draftsman, but his aptitude for learning the new and sophisticated techniques of CAD software and his positive attitude continued to elevate him as a leader and mentor. Before his eventual retirement from, "The Lab," Vern was able to collaborate on many key projects in support of the U.S. military, and was instrumental in developing designs for non-nuclear weaponry, such as the bunker busting munitions utilized by the U.S. Air Force in Iraq, and the so called, "Star Wars," space-based strategic nuclear defense systems. He held Top Secret security clearances, and even designed from within a vault at one point! Vern's drafting skills and loyalty were equally revered, and his integrity never questioned. He loved working among the geeks in that science playground where profound discoveries were made on nuclear fusion and other emergent technologies. Vern also applied his mathematical mind while playing cards with his coworkers on lunch breaks as well as Cribbage tournaments on weekends.

At home, he designed and executed his own yard and patio projects and built his own garage storage cabinetry. He was a quiet thinker, and always read the newspaper to start his day, including the comics! Arriving home each night after work, Vern would inevitably be found tending his backyard plantings with a can of beer in one hand and peanuts in the other. That was how he decompressed before investing in the never to be missed ritual of nightly family dinners, where he delighted in hearing from his kids what they had accomplished at school or in sports. He was a big spender on offering praise and encouragement!

"Papa Vern," grew things-and he knew things, and he liked to do many fun and adventurous things, but he never needed to impress anyone with material acquisitions nor persuade them to his personal or political opinions. In this way, Vern's keen intelligence and rare common sense were humbly exhibited. His philosophy was to live and let live, with a side of the amusing mantra popularized by Calvin & Hobbes, "Life is Short...Play Naked!" Vern genuinely and heartily enjoyed life and lived it as fully as possible, putting the people he loved most at the pinnacle of his priority list without fail. Vern never let a guest's glass go empty, and was the best life partner, parent, grandparent, and friend anyone could hope to have known! While he may have stubbornly hoarded his personal stash of precious pecan sandies, he shared gallons upon gallons of homemade ice-cream, and liters of his favorite tequila with loved ones. His laughter will echo in many hearts...

Vern loved to stroll along a lakeside path or take a walk with someone special on the beach, and the symphony of the ocean was his all time favorite! We hope he is enjoying all the most stunning sunsets on that Eternal shore where he now resides, sipping the very finest of agave juice in his version of forevermore...

Vern was predeceased by his parents, Elmer Vernon and Ona Jane (Case) Williamson, as well as his elder brother, Delmer Ray Williamson, and his eldest niece, Kathleen Williamson Bylasma.

He is departed from his beloved bride, Janet Joy (Raynal) Williamson of Milpitas, CA, his daughter, Dawn Marie (Williamson) Scott and adored granddaughter, Ava Marie Margot Scott, of Austin,TX, his son, Shawn Michael Williamson and wife, Lynne of Westminster, CO, and his cherished grandchildren: Joshua Raynal Williamson and wife, Ally; Alexander Eden Williamson; and Grant Michael Williamson of Denver, CO. Vern is also survived by brother-in-law, David Michael Raynal and wife, Maryanne of Kentfield, CA and a sister-in-law, Elaine Raynal Ronchi of Corte Madera, CA.

It was Vern's privilege to be a loving uncle to: Maureen (Williamson) and Robert Wyland and family of Santa Cruz, CA; Brian and Lori Williamson and family, of Rocklin, CA; Liza Marie (Raynal) and Newton Martin of San Mateo, CA and SFC. Joseph David Raynal and wife, Ashley of Lakewood, WA and their children. Vern is also mourned by his great-niece, Alison Lynn Murcheck of Mountain View, CA. He leaves behind many sweet cousins, and a wide family of friends who all share in recognizing his goodness as a human being. Vern appreciated those affections deeply.

In gratitude for and remembrance of "Papa" Vern, the Williamson family will gather for private services and interment at 1:00pm at the Lima Family Milpitas-Fremont Mortuary in Cedar Lawn Memorial Park, 48800 Warm Springs Blvd., Fremont, CA, on January 26, 2024, and invite those attending to join in a Celebration of Vern's first Heavenly Birthday, following at Zahir's Bistro, 579 S Main St, Milpitas, CA, at 4:00pm.

May the spirit that guided Vern in life also bring each one of us who dearly loved and miss him the comfort, peace and contentment he exemplified. May his jubilant soul be forever free...